Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Like Knights of Old: The Nine-banded Armadillo
MYTHS
The armadillo's main defense is to curl into a tight ball.
Armadillos feed heavily on the eggs of quail, turkeys, and chickens.
MEDIEVAL ARMORERS THOUGHT THEMSELVES VERY CLEVER WHEN THEY
DEVELOPED A METAL CASING OF FLEXIBLE PLATES FOR MOUNTED KNIGHTS, WHO
THEN WENT ABOUT SLAYING DRAGONS, RESCUING FAIR DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, AND
HAPPILY DISPATCHING EACH OTHER WITH LANCE, BATTLE-AX, AND MACE. However, ar-
madillos and their ancestors perfected a nearly identical, and far more practical, system millions of
years before; they had no need to depend on armorers, for they simply grew their own armor! Indeed,
the name
armadillo,
a gift from Spanish explorers and conquistadors, means “little armored one”—a
good name for this odd and intriguing little creature.
Most species of armadillo are tropical or subtropical, but the nine-banded armadillo
(Dasypus
novemcinctus)
has gradually migrated northward through Mexico and into the United States. It now
inhabits Louisiana, most of Texas, much of Oklahoma and Arkansas, and parts of Kansas, Missouri,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Our North American armadillo is roughly the size of a house cat. The head and body combined are
about sixteen inches long, while the slender, pointed tail is an inch or two shorter. Adult females weigh
from eight to thirteen pounds, while the slightly larger males can reach seventeen pounds.
As its species name
novemcinctus
(from Latin
novem,
nine, and
cinctus,
that which girds) indicates,
our North American armadillo has nine plates, or bands, sandwiched between a large front plate and a
large rear one. These narrow middle plates allow the armadillo to be quite flexible, a quality it would
be totally lacking if it had only two or three large plates. The head and tail are also armor-plated, as are
the legs. Only the underside lacks protection.
